Director Park Hoon-jung Embraces Kim Seon-ho... Behind the Scenes of the Film Tackling 'Kopino'

Kim Seon-ho / Photo by Salt Entertainment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The film industry has embraced actor Kim Seon-ho, who has been embroiled in controversy over allegedly pressuring his girlfriend to have an abortion. He has decided to appear in a film directed by Park Hoon-jung that addresses the 'Kopino' issue.

A representative from the distributor NEW of the film Sad Tropics told Asia Economy on the 1st, "After much deliberation, the production team has decided to proceed with filming with Kim Seon-ho within this year." His agency Salt Entertainment stated, "We will work hard to prepare so that we can repay the opportunity given."

On the 18th of last month, a post appeared on an online community claiming that the trending actor K had pressured his girlfriend to have an abortion of a child conceived during their relationship since early last year. The author said that K initially pressured her on the premise of marriage but changed his attitude after the procedure. In May, he suddenly broke up with her, and she confessed to suffering from aftereffects severe enough to disrupt her daily life. In a follow-up post, the author said she had secured evidence such as photos but was not disclosing them due to legal issues.

Kim Seon-ho, identified as K, initially remained silent, but after three days of escalating controversy, he admitted his fault and apologized. He said, "We met with good feelings, but during the process, my negligence and thoughtless actions caused hurt. I want to sincerely apologize to her through this statement."

Subsequently, KBS2's variety show 1 Night 2 Days Season 4 production team announced, "We have decided to remove Kim Seon-ho from the show due to the controversy," and edited out his scenes. The advertising industry also cut ties by withdrawing images featuring his face.

The film industry also turned its back. Kim Seon-ho had confirmed appearances in several films and was preparing to shoot following the popularity of the tvN drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. When the controversy arose, the production company Oyu Naegang announced his withdrawal from 2 O’Clock Date, and JK Film canceled his participation in the omnibus Dog Days.

However, director Park Hoon-jung did not let go of Kim Seon-ho. This is because filming was planned for this month and pre-production had been underway. It also appears that due to the tight schedule, finding a replacement actor was difficult.

A film industry insider said, "The production team considered his withdrawal and tried to cast other actors, but most declined or showed reluctance. Various opinions were discussed, but it seems director Park Hoon-jung decided to proceed with Kim Seon-ho."

If Kim Seon-ho’s participation falls through, film production could become difficult. Sad Tropics has been in production ahead of imminent filming, and it is reported that hundreds of millions of won have already been invested.

However, whether the film embracing Kim Seon-ho will be released in theaters remains uncertain. There is also the possibility it may be released in another form.

Sad Tropics depicts the story of a boy who dreams of becoming a boxer, born to a Korean father and a Filipino mother, who comes to Korea to find his father who abandoned him, only to encounter bad people.

Various opinions are expected regarding Kim Seon-ho, the central figure in the abortion pressure controversy, appearing in a work that embraces the 'Kopino' (second-generation children born between Koreans and Filipinos) theme.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.